Any cell service sailing NYC to Florida?

[Sandyshore]

I'm wondering if anyone has been able to pick up a signal from either Verizon or AT&T while we're sailing up/down the east coast. We're sailing out of New York on the Gem in February. I have no idea if that's possible, or if it's actually laughable. :o Thanks in advance!

[RubyT]

I'm wondering if anyone has been able to pick up a signal from either Verizon or AT&T while we're sailing up/down the east coast. We're sailing out of New York on the Gem in February. I have no idea if that's possible, or if it's actually laughable. :o Thanks in advance!

 

Just sailed the repo from NYC to Miami...we had no real cell service except in St. Thomas, and that was roaming to AT&T I think. We just have regular phones, but there are phones that pick up service.

If you're using the internet, get a gmail account...that seemed to work the quickest on board.

[cruizinwithkids]

I'm wondering if anyone has been able to pick up a signal from either Verizon or AT&T while we're sailing up/down the east coast. We're sailing out of New York on the Gem in February. I have no idea if that's possible, or if it's actually laughable. :o Thanks in advance!

 

We generally get a good signal because there is a cell tower on the ship. The cost varies by user carrier. A phone call with AT&T for example is $2.49 per minute. Text messages are 50 cents. I just got my bill from a recent 4 day cruise. I had 63 outgoing text messages at 50 cents each. The incoming are something like 1 cent each. I thought the text messaging was well worth it to keep in touch with my kids. Mostly I did it because it was a new phone and I was having fun with it.

[Sandyshore]

We generally get a good signal because there is a cell tower on the ship. The cost varies by user carrier. A phone call with AT&T for example is $2.49 per minute. Text messages are 50 cents. I just got my bill from a recent 4 day cruise. I had 63 outgoing text messages at 50 cents each. The incoming are something like 1 cent each. I thought the text messaging was well worth it to keep in touch with my kids. Mostly I did it because it was a new phone and I was having fun with it.

 

DH has an iPhone, which is AT&T. He was hoping to be able to deal with client emergencies if necessary, but $2.49/minute will get really expensive, really fast! So roaming is unavoidable? Too bad.

 

RubyT: he does have a Gmail account and will definitely be using the Internet to check e-mails. Wish we could leave it all behind for 10 days, but when you don't have backup for the clients, they don't care that you're on vacation! And we sure don't want to come home and find out they've hired somebody else. :eek:

 

Any chance someone with Verizon had service that wasn't roaming?

 

Thanks for all your help.

[time2cruise1]

Sandyshore

Verizon, AT&T, Tmobile it does not matter they will always pick up the strongest single. At sea that will always the ships cell service.

One thing that does matter be happy you don't have Tmobile as they bill their customers at $4.95 per minute :eek: At least AT&T and Verizon are only $2.49

[Sandyshore]

Sandyshore

Verizon, AT&T, Tmobile it does not matter they will always pick up the strongest single. At sea that will always the ships cell service.

One thing that does matter be happy you don't have Tmobile as they bill their customers at $4.95 per minute :eek: At least AT&T and Verizon are only $2.49

 

Thanks for the replies. I think we'd better cross our fingers and hope there are no emergencies -- or that he can handle them all via e-mail. Is Internet service pretty steady throughout the Caribbean?

[garycarla]

When you are CLOSE to land you might still have a shore signal, but that is rare. Your phone will indicate which carrier you are on.

 

See more in the link below.

[CruisnGram]

Thanks for the replies. I think we'd better cross our fingers and hope there are no emergencies -- or that he can handle them all via e-mail. Is Internet service pretty steady throughout the Caribbean?

 

If you are talking about internet on the ship, it's pretty reliable, but like the phone service, not cheap. It's also pretty expensive.

 

CG

[Greymeowsr]

It's not just the per minute costs, but the roaming costs that will get you on your cell phone. Better to leave it turned off and buy minutes on the internet. Still very expensive, but if you can't just be on vacation, it should serve.

 

Thomas

[pieshops]

your phone will pretty much show a signal anywhere and anytime on the ncl ship, but it is usually picking up the ships cell tower and if it uses the ships tower you will be charged a lot of money for calls.

 

Be careful.

[Sandyshore]

If you are talking about internet on the ship, it's pretty reliable, but like the phone service, not cheap. It's also pretty expensive.CG

 

Yeah, sorry, my question about Internet service wasn't very clear. I did mean how reliable is it on the ship. Expensive yes, but far less than cell phone minutes from everything you all have told me. So thanks again for the info! :)

[time2cruise1]

Yeah, sorry, my question about Internet service wasn't very clear. I did mean how reliable is it on the ship. Expensive yes, but far less than cell phone minutes from everything you all have told me. So thanks again for the info! :)

 

I would not say it was cheaper. The most cost effective is text messaging. At $.40-$.75 per minute depending on plan if you don't bring your laptop you pay for minutes while you read and reply. It could be $4.00 to handle one email and reply. If you use the INTERNET bring a laptop to download mail, log off, read, create replies, login and send. It will save a lot of money.

 

In fact checking mail on the iPhone might be more cost effective then INTERNET onboard

http://www.wireless.att.com/travelguide/coverage/coverage_details.jsp?CIDL=1581&MNC=CING

 

All GPRS pay per use rates are $.0195/KB,